Global Women and STEM: Interdisciplinary Research Training Program at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles

An interdisciplinary undergraduate research program with international summer fieldwork at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles trains undergraduates in research methodologies (cancer laboratory techniques, crosscultural survey research, and policy analysis); collects fieldwork data in global settings and the United States; and compares, analyzes, and presents the results at professional conferences and in publications. The program develops leadership skills and teamwork necessary for student success and retention in STEM fields. Participants learn about the molecular, environmental, and nutritional causes of cancer and about local and policy-level disparities in health-care access in the United States and globally. This combination of coursework, summer research, international field study, and leadership training can be an effective way to increase success and retention rates of undergraduate women in STEM fields.